After serving as one of the leading manufacturers in Russellville for 50 years, Franklin Homes is beginning its 50th year in business by opening its first retail facility.

Franklin Homes officially began selling to the public this month, and retail lot manager Jeannie Waldrep said the facility is already off to a great start with its first order already placed.

“We’ve always had interest in people trying to buy directly from us,” Waldrep said. “We already had people stopping in, but we were just never able to sell to the public because we were just a manufacturing facility.”

Waldrep said the facility now has lenders who can finance houses, and the public is able to purchase customized home directly from the place where it is being built.

Waldrep said Franklin Homes has several models available for customization, but manufacturing is not limited to the designs already available.

On a tour of the facility, several employees joked if someone brought the company a design drawn on a napkin, it could be turned into a Franklin Home.

Franklin Homes builds manufactured homes and modular homes for all states in the Southeast, going as far south as Orlando and as far west as Texas.

“We are just really excited to be selling to the public now,” Waldrep said. “We are really proud of our quality and what we are able to offer, so we are just excited to get to share that now with the public.”